when the captain gets bored
by liefdewint
Summary: It is just another boring day in space when a game of truth or dare (that never gets anywhere throughout the story) shows that the relations on board aren't as secret as everybody thought they were.


When the captain gets bored

(Or, let Chekov never suggest a game)

Captain James Tiberius Kirk gazed to the billions of stars and planets in front of him. Some already discovered, by them or by others, others still completely unknown. Those planets were the destination of the starship USS Enterprise and her crew. And what an exciting preview it was, to discover what hasn't been discovered before and to boldly go where no man has gone before.

Only it wasn't always as dangerous and blood-boiling adventurous as one might think. Oh, there were good days with Klingon-attacks or a cry for help by a distant planet, but it seemed like today would be yet another day without any entertainment or something to do, besides stargazing.

"I'm bored!" Kirk whined (in a very manly way, thank you very much) "Sulu, entertain me."  
The ship's pilot turned around, shot a pointed look at Kirk which clearly said 'I'm navigating this ship so that we won't crash into some planet, I don't have time to babysit you and give in to your every whim,' and turned back around.  
"Fine," Kirk pouted, clearly annoyed "I'll just die from boredom then."  
"Captain, the chances that you could actually die from boredom are so small, they could be considered to be zero. Therefore it would be much more logical for you to go back to work and let everybody else do their jobs." Science/executive officer Spock spoke.  
"Nice try Spockie bear," Kirk teased "but when was the last time your logic worked on me?" Kirk tried giving his best, most innocent smile, effectively shutting Spock up.  
"We could of course play a game, while working, or something." Chekov suggested and immediately everybody seemed to react in one way or another.

Uhura looked shocked and started to shake her head, as if she wanted to erase what she just heard; Spock called Bones, telling him that there was a critical situation and Sulu attacked Chekov, making them both roll on the ground, where they continued to struggle. Only Jim seemed to go scarily calm after hearing the Chekov's, somewhat thoughtless, intervention.:)

"I like that thought. I like it very much indeed. A game. Of course it can't be a physical active game, we all need to work of course," he ignored the glares everyone send his way (except for Spock, who simply looked at his captain without any emotion on his face – or that's what he would like to think), "of course I spy with my little eye, would get boring soon, and no yellow cars in space, but maybe… yes, that's it. We could play Truth or Dare," he grinned.

"Captain, I strongly advise against playing a game that is mainly played by twelve year old girls, aboard a starship," Spock commented, but he was ignored by the captain.

"Sulu, truth or dare," he said instead.

Sulu glared again at him, this time meaning 'You are such a child and I am strongly questioning why I haven't requested to be employed on another starship yet, but I will indulge in this game because it is the better of the options' and said, "truth."

"Mh, most people would think that is the save option, but they haven't played truth or dare with me, then again, maybe my dares _are_ even worse," Jim pondered, "truth, what to ask, what to ask? Aha I know, what about this: who do you prefer to think about when you're lonely and all by yourself at night?"

"Who says I'm alone at night?" Sulu says deadpanned.

"Because you have to file a form when you are involved in a romantic relationship with one of the other crew members. Now, if it were me, I probably wouldn't file it, since I don't think that's anyone's business…"

"Really,_ you _think that is no one's business? You wouldn't say so if I heard you talking," Sulu murmured under his breath.

"But you would, and so would anybody onboard you could possibly be in a relationship with. So, conclusion, you _are_ all alone at night, with no one to entertain you, but your own right hand. So tell us, who do you think about?" Jim continued, not having heard Sulu, or maybe just pretending so.

"Who says I'm thinking about someone specific?" Sulu tried again, stalling as long as possible, hoping to remedy the captain's boredom soon by playing along until their shift ended and so preventing that others would fall to the same fate. If that meant taking one for the team, than that was what he felt obliged to do so.

"Oh don't we all think about someone specific. Uhura thinks about Scotty, Bones thinks about Carol, Spock thinks about the Fibonacci code and you think about…" he let the silence fall, obvious inviting Sulu to fill it in, oblivious to the embarrassed silence that had fallen on the bridge, as people glanced nervously at each other, awkward after having been outed in such a way – apart from Spock of course, whose only reaction to the captain's accusation was to raise his eyebrow.

"If that is so, who do you think of, captain," Sulu ignored the hint and just shot back. 'Just keep pushing him until he gets embarrassed as well. There must be something that will make him shut up.'

"No, no mister Sulu, it's your turn, you picked truth, so you have to answer the question. So mister Sulu, _who do you think about at night_?" Jim sat relaxed in his chair, his feet propped up. He was a good captain, a great one some might even say, and his crew loved him most of the time, but every once in while he would be just cocky as the admirals thought he was.

"I won't answer this question before you do. And you know why? Because you didn't answer it immediately, so it means that you don't want us to know. So you are embarrassed by who you think of. And you know what, so am I. So if you want me to embarrass myself in front of your alpha team, then so will you. So captain, let _me_ ask again, _who do you think of at night_?" Sulu glared at Jim and Jim glared back. They sat like that for a couple of seconds, while the whole crew held their breath, waiting to see who would cave first.

"FINE, don't answer it," Jim eventually said, "see if I care whether you ever tell Chekov how you feel about him," Jim knew he shouldn't have said that, he had exposed his other friends because their partner wasn't there to hear it, but Chekov was sitting right beside Sulu, now staring up at him with wide puppy-eyes.

"You have told him about us, Hikaru?" he asked.

"No, I didn't," Sulu comforted the boy, for that was what he still was, a boy. They had started this relationship because neither could deny the attraction that there had been between them, but were forced to take it slow, until Chekov became of age. Not that their stupid, big headed captain would understand any that of course. But if he thought that he was the only one who knew some embarrassing secrets, then he was wrong. Last month, Sulu had been visiting the captain in the sickbay after a mission gone wrong (they happened less than one might think) when he heard his captain moan – yes moan in _that_ way – a name.

"Captain, you know the line about the pot and the kettle? Because I don't see you confessing your undying love for Spock either," Sulu grinned at gasp that went through the bridge as everyone's eyes averted from him and Pavlov, to the now blushing captain.

"Mister Sulu," Spock finally spoke up after some moments of stunned silence, "Although I agree with you that Jim shouldn't have said what he said about the two of you, the same applies to you. However, if you really want to know, Jim has told me he loved me some months back. We have been in a relationship ever since," another gasp went through the bridge as people processed Spock's words and Spock pressed his fingers against Jim's, something Sulu recognized as a Vulcan kiss, "and yes, we have filed this, no matter what Jim might say, but we just didn't see the need to let the entire crew know. After all, I have looked at the figures, and our romantic involvement does not influence our work," when Spock ended what would later be called the speech of the century, he was standing behind the captain's chair, having one hand clasped on the captain's shoulder. The way Jim grinned, this was probably the most PDA the Vulcan had ever shown with him, Sulu realized. "Now Jim apologize to Sulu, for pushing him to say things he wasn't ready to say."

"I'm sorry, Sulu," Jim said sheepishly.

"And to the rest of the crew for making them uncomfortable as well."

"Sorry you guys."

"Good, now, I think that we should take a break, shouldn't we Jim," Jim jumped up, his put down demeanor had disappeared and he now just looked like an eager puppy, waiting for the next order from his master – and god, wasn't that an awkward thought.

After Spock and Jim had disappeared in the elevator, Chekov finally spoke up "So, who has won the jackpot?"


End file.
